Apple
by hikachu
Summary: This Eve led the snake into temptation and dragged it out of Eden. Isn't it funny? Like revenge.


Nezumi is sick.

In the past two days, Shion has seen him coughing and sneezing as he came back from work, searching for warmth in his sleep in spite of the two extra blankets, but all of his questions and worries were, as expected, promptly ignored or met with annoyed glances.

Today—Tonight, Nezumi is burning up, shaking, neither awake nor asleep. Shion helps him change into pajamas that aren't drenched in sweat and administers medicine envisioning himself as he tells him, this is what happens when you don't pay attention to your health, as soon as Nezumi is lucid enough to understand his words. Maybe he'll even ask: who is it that can't take care of himself, exactly?, but Shion doesn't really like fighting with Nezumi, even when he knows he's right and the other's just being too stubborn, so he most likely won't.

It's nostalgic, Shion thinks, when Nezumi crawls on top of him and he finds himself holding him close, hands drawing circles on Nezumi's burning back, under his shirt. Just like that night, even though today there's no rain and the moon is like a pale sun in a cloudless day.

He believes they will fall asleep like this, when Nezumi's voice breaks the silence.

"Shion…" he tries to get up and look at his surroundings: he's confused, a bit delirious.

"Don't move too much, Nezumi. You have a fever. Are you thirsty?"

"No… No, I—Ah," he can see the red scar circling around Shion's neck like a ribbon. With shaky fingers, Nezumi undoes one, two, three buttons because he wants to be able to see more of it, to touch it.

Shion doesn't move or stiffen or protest in any way.

"This snake," Nezumi mutters. "It's proof that you came here, isn't it? That you followed me to this place".

Shion nods, even though he knows the other can't see him. "And that you saved me".

"Saved you," Nezumi repeats as if tasting the words to remember their meaning. His eyes are unfocussed. "Is this really salvation, for an elite like you?" he smirks, chuckles, but his laugh is as shaky as his fingers earlier. "Ever since that night, you have been slowly walking away from your world. No.6. Your Eden."

"Eden…?" the simple curiosity in Shion's voice moves his heart a bit.

Nezumi entertains the short-lived thought of reaching out to ruffle his hair for once; instead he laughs, almost as malicious as usual, and weak.

"You really don't know anything, do you?" and he would be swinging his arms around like he does on stage if he could. "Eden. Heaven on Earth. The Garden of Delights where the first woman and the first man lived together in peace… Until Eve gave into temptation and defied God because of the snake," Nezumi laughs again and it's too much for his sick body: it turns into a violent coughing fit and Shion forces him to drink some water.

It feels good and at the same time it makes his throat burn, it hurts. Like everything else ever since Shion came into his life.

"Hey, Shion… _Shion_," he croaks. "Isn't it ironic?" Nezumi lifts himself up a little and dramatically puts a hand over his own breast. "This Eve led the snake into temptation and dragged it out of Eden. Isn't it funny? Like revenge. After all… I'm going to take everything away from No.6, aren't I? Not just you".

Shion touches his cheek: the tips of his fingers grazing Nezumi's skin and then sliding, sliding forward, until Shion can feel the excessive warmth spreading across the palm of his hand. He smiles.

"I don't know if it's funny. But, certainly, I don't think it's a bad thing".

"… Does His Majesty like it here?" Nezumi is surprised by his own voice: it's too quiet, too soft. He doesn't speak like that.

Shion looks at him like he hasn't even heard the question, like he's contemplating something that has nothing to do with it.

They stare at each other in silence and at some point, Nezumi leans a bit into the touch. He doesn't seem to be aware of it. It's probably an unconscious thing, because Shion's hand is cool and pleasant on his face; it's probably the fever's fault or perhaps, _perhaps_—

"Yes. I like being here, Nezumi. Very much".

Shion's heart is beating under his hand, against his ribcage, and it reminds Nezumi of how easy it is to end a life, something that should disgust or reassure him, or both, and yet it only makes him want to pull away.

He doesn't.

Instead, for a moment, and for no reason in particular, the thought of getting closer and kissing Shion on the mouth crosses Nezumi's mind (though not in so many words), only to be washed away by frustration and disappointment: he hates feeling compelled to do things – such things – without even knowing why.

Finally, without a word, he rolls off Shion and curls up with his back plastered to the wall. Eyes tightly shut like a child that fears the dark, he can still guess the other's expression as he blinks, as if disappointed, and then his patient smile as he whispers, goodnight.

Nezumi doesn't answer, fakes sleep, the thought that perhaps it was the snake that tempted Eve in this—their story too, creeping into the back of his mind.


End file.
